After the first flush of bloom in a rose garden, it’s kind of spotty. Some bushes are totally done, or at least resting, and some, like this magnificent Camelot rosebush, are just exploding with blooms. My rose bed gets some late afternoon light, and have you noticed it’s my favorite?

Peachy pink blossoms adorn a Camelot rose bush in late afternoon light

Linking to Pink Saturday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Garden Tuesday, My Romantic Home, and Fishtail Cottage Thursday. Check out a new tag or category here in the sidebar to the right. Rose, perhaps? Come visit again soon.

Peach and red nasturtiums with variegated leaves from my patio garden. Don’t you love those round leaves?

Peachy orange nasturtiums with red throat and variegated leaves

Participating this week in Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Garden Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday and Fishtail Cottage Thursday. Have a great day and thanks for visiting here.

At friends’ garden for their wedding today, a glorious experience. Here are some purple/lavender clematis flowers (about the size of my hand), climbing up a wall.

Purple clematis blooming in a Seattle garden in July

Joining up at Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, and Garden Tuesday. Thank you for visiting here, and please come back soon.

These darling sweetpeas are on my patio table. Take a nice, deep breath, now!

Sweetpea bouquet graces an outdoor table

This week I’m linking into Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Hope in Every Season Wednesday (homemaking) and Garden Tuesday. Thanks for your visit here, and come back soon.

This little hen-and-chicks sedum on my patio is only maybe 1.5″ or 4 cm. across, but it has an amazing flower (see 2nd photo below). I like these succulents because the circular leaf pattern looks like a flower, and then it HAS flowers. The individual pink flower is half an inch or so across.

Today’s Flowers is showing a couple of my photos this weekend. Be sure to visit as many of the participants as you can, and leave a comment so they will know you visited.

Little green and purple hen-and-chicks sedum rosette

Small pink sedum flowers with yellow centers

Joining the fun at Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, and Garden Tuesday. Please browse around here and come back soon!

The day lilies are blooming.

Macro of peach day lily blooming in my garden

Joining in at Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Thank you so much for visiting, and hope you have a happy Fourth of July, the happy celebration of Independence here in the U.S.A.

Just went out to the garden and saw that the hydrangeas are beginning to show color. Such flower excitement! This one was a gift from friends who needed the space for something else. This year it has recovered from the move and is blooming beautifully for us in a shady spot.

Glowing Embers hydrangea begins to show color in late afternoon light

You might visit Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. And for some easy tips on how to take better flower photos without any fancy equipment, see my free “7 Secrets” download at the right. Thanks!

The big rains we had recently had an upside besides the garden and lawn’s deep soaking. Roses do not like to be rained on, but if you get out there during a break, you might find some beauty.

Snowfire rose with raindrops in the garden

Linking in to Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Water World Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Thank you for visiting here.

Flowers that return each year, or politely reseed or spread, are big faves of mine. Old fashioned sweet williams have the added bonus of brilliant colors and longish stems so they can go in bouquets. These are on my patio right now. The peach flowers behind them are nasturtiums with variegated leaves, a new plant for me.

Magenta and white sweet williams in front of peach nasturtiums on my patio

Participating in Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Thursday Challenge (Flowers), Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Let’s try Orange You Glad It’s Friday, too. If there’s only this one photo here, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos on top to see the rest of ’em.

Flowers are so lovely, but so ephemeral, their fleeting beauty one of the reasons we respond so emotionally to them. These peonies, roses and snapdragons from my garden are on their way out, but still so worthy of contemplation.

Bouquet with peonies, roses and snapdragons begins to fade

Linking up at Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Do browse around here. “Bouquet” is a fine choice for the search bar at the upper right for some very fine images, if I do say so myself.